The mother (an aid recipient) of a fallen officer gave to COTSO her son’s bulletproof vest. When she provided us the vest, she told us the story of how she had saved for an entire year to give it to him as a Christmas gift. She also mentioned how she would call him every day to make sure he wore it. Unfortunately, he was not wearing his gift (vest) on the day he was shot. Upon giving us her son’s vest, she directed us to find a security officer who needed it. Her hope on that day was that it might save a security officer’s life.

This generous gesture was the beginning of the COTSO Free Safety Vest Program. We hope that the vests we give away will save a security officer’s life. If we can save just one officer, it will be all worth it.

COTSO has always been about helping security officers and their families after a tragedy, but the security industry itself is about prevention. COSTO is doing their best to PREVENT security officers from injury or death while on duty. Beginning in 2019, COTSO will be providing free training, advice, and equipment to help prevent officers from being injured or killed while on duty.

Program Rules:
To apply you must:

• Must be registered with TXDPS – Private Security Bureau.
• Must be providing security under the direction of a licensed company.
• Must be actively employed at the time of the award.
• Must agree to have a photo appear on the website and social media.
• Must fill out and complete the application below and provide supporting documentation.

Thank you for your interest in the Vest Program.

The deadline has passed and the program will reopen on July 1^st, 2025. Please check back then. You can join our newsletter for the most up-to-date information about the program and other training classes.